Should the Steelers pick up RB Najee Harris’ fifth-year option?
This is one of the many questions the Steelers face going into this offseason, though I’m not sure how significant it is. It is becoming less and less common for teams to pick up the fifth-year options of all but the most solidified starters. It is also becoming more common for teams to continue to work with players after not picking up their options.
Thanks to the deflated running back market, however, the fifth-year option value for Najee Harris is not anticipated to be astronomical. Over The Cap projects it to be $6,660,000 right now by virtue of his playing time. He does not qualify for the Pro Bowl escalator because he was an alternate in 2021, not on the original ballot.
By 2025, which would be Harris’ option year, Jaylen Warren will be going into his fourth season. He is only under contract through 2024 as a former college free agent and would be a restricted free agent in 2025. By then, a second-round tender would probably come close to $5 million. That’s something to consider when weighing the option of paying Harris over $6 million. Do you want to devote $11 million to the running back room?
If the Steelers want to give Harris the tag, they might also be motivated to do a multi-year extension straight away. Not even waiting until the start of his fifth year, as they typically do with most of their first-round picks who have their options picked up.
Harris is coming off arguably his best season as a runner, cracking 4.0 in yards per carry for the first time. He rushed for 1,035 yards on a career-low 255 carries thanks to splitting time with Warren. Although his eight rushing touchdowns marked a career high, he had 10 total scores in each of his first two seasons.
In addition, he finished the year with his highest run-success rate, approaching 50 percent, which is very solid. He also had significantly more explosive runs, but he capped out at 25 yards. He’ll never be a long-distance threat, it doesn’t seem. But he showed he can be very effective in a two-back rotation. And with the uncertainty at the quarterback position in the coming years, it might not be a bad thing to invest in running backs.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wild Card Round, they have another long offseason to look forward to.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Kenny Pickett the guy? Will he get another season’s reprieve without a serious challenge? How will the team address the depth chart? Do they re-sign Mason Rudolph, one of few significant unrestricted free agents?
The Steelers are swirling with more questions this offseason than usual, frankly, though the major free agent list is less substantial than usual. It’s just a matter of…what happens next? Where do they go from here? How do they find the way forward?
